Prediction: Washington Mystics VS Chicago Sky 2025-06-17

WNBA Showdown: Chicago Sky vs. Washington Mystics – A Tale of Two Teams (and a Lot of Rebounding)
June 18, 2025 – Improbable Drama Edition

The Setup:
The Chicago Sky (3-7) and Washington Mystics (4-7) meet in a clash of WNBA mediocrity, though the Sky have a slight edge in the "we’re not entirely hopeless" department. Chicago just snapped a three-game losing streak with a 78-66 win over the Connecticut Sun, thanks to Angel Reese’s historic triple-double (11 points, 13 rebounds, 11 assists). The Mystics, meanwhile, are a dumpster fire: they’ve lost seven of their last nine games and were held to a WNBA season-low 56 points in their most recent defeat.

The Numbers Game:
- Chicago’s Strength: Angel Reese (10.4 PPG, 11.9 RPG) and Hailey Van Lith (16 PPG in the Sun game) are cooking. The Sky’s bench is a beast, averaging 28.3 PPG in the second unit.
- Washington’s Weakness: The Mystics are 28th in defensive efficiency (per WNBA metrics), allowing 83.2 PPG. Their last game? A 56-point dud. Coach Sydney Johnson’s “film study” speech won’t fix this.
- Key Stat: Chicago’s +9.1 rebounding margin vs. Washington’s -4.8. The Sky will dominate the glass, and the Mystics’ offense is too brittle to recover.

Odds Breakdown (June 17):
- Moneyline: Chicago (-2.7) / Washington (-1.5)
- Spread: Chicago -4.5 (-110) / Washington +4.5 (-110)
- Total: 155.5 (Under -1.93) / 156.5 (Over -1.87)

Calculating Expected Value (EV):
1. Moneyline:
- Chicago’s implied probability: 1 / 2.7 ≈ 37.0%
- Washington’s implied probability: 1 / 1.5 ≈ 66.7%
- Historical underdog win rate (WNBA): 32%
- Split the Difference: Chicago’s EV = (37% - 32%) = +5% edge. Washington’s EV = (66.7% - 32%) = -34.7%.

2. Spread:
- Chicago -4.5: Implied probability ≈ 52.3%
- Washington +4.5: Implied probability ≈ 47.7%
- Historical underdog cover rate (WNBA): ~35% (underdogs cover 35% of the time).
- EV for Chicago -4.5: (52.3% - 35%) = +17.3% edge.

3. Total:
- Over/Under: 155.5-156.5
- Chicago’s recent game: 78 points. Washington’s last game: 56 points.
- Under is a lock unless the Mystics rediscover the joy of shooting.

The Verdict:
Best Bet: Chicago Sky -4.5 (-110)
- Why? The Sky are a +17.3% EV play on the spread. Their rebounding dominance and Washington’s offensive ineptitude make covering -4.5 a near-certainty. Plus, Angel Reese’s triple-double buzz will carry them.

Secondary Play: Under 155.5 (-1.93)
- The Mystics’ 56-point game and Chicago’s 78-point win suggest a low-scoring trend. The Under has a 51% implied probability vs. a 32% underdog win rate—+19% edge.

Final Thoughts:
The Mystics are the WNBA’s version of a broken printer: you keep hitting “print” hoping it’ll fix itself. Chicago, meanwhile, is the “almost fixed” printer that still jams occasionally. Bet the Sky to cover and the total to stay under. And if you’re feeling spicy, take Angel Reese to record another triple-double. She’s hungry for wins, remember?

“I was hungry for a win. We wanted this bad.” – Angel Reese, 2025’s version of a triple-double and a motivational poster.

Created: June 17, 2025, 10:29 a.m. GMT